Combination stanchion socket and line chock



J. w. O'BRIEN 3,232,263

COMBINATION STANCHION SOCKET AND LINE CHOCK Feb. 1, 1966 Filed July 28,1964 INVENTOR JOHN w. O'BRIEN ATT NEY United States Patent 3,232,263COMBINATION STANCE-HON SOCKET AND LINE CHUCK John W. OBrien, St.Petersburg, Fla, assignor to Marine Railings Company Incorporated, St.Petersburg, Fla.,

a corporation of Florida Filed July 28, 1964, Ser. No. 385,679 2 Claims.(Cl. 114-218) This invention relates to improvements in boat deckhardware, and more particularly to a combination stanchion socket andline chock.

It is common practice on boats to support guard rails, bow pulpits, andthe like by stanchions, the lower end of which are received in socketssecured to the boat deck or other like surface. It is likewise commonpractice to provide boats with chocks serving as guides or fairleads formooring lines, towing lines, and the like, the ohocks usually beingmounted on suitable supporting surfaces at or near the edge of the deck.The use of separate boat stanchion sockets and chocks not only requiresseparate installation and handling but in addition results in theplacing of one or the other in a less desirable location and contributesto a cluttered deck condition, both of which factors detract from linehandling efiiciency and from the appearance of the boat.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide, as an improvedarticle of deck hardware, a combination stanchion socket and line chockwhich will alleviate the foregoing undesirable conditions leading todeck clutter and ineflicient line handling and to minimizing costs inproviding equipment for the purposes mentioned.

It is another object of this invention to provide a combinationstanchion socket and line chock which, by reason of its novelconstruction, permits the use of a stanchion as a guide for directing aline into the chock portion thereof.

Yet another object is the provision of a combination stanchion socketand line chock comprising a flange portion presenting a substantiallyflat bottom surface for engagement with a supporting surface such as aboat deck, a sleeve portion extending upwardly from the flange portionand having a cylindrical bore or opening therein for receiving astanchion of a guard rail, bow pulpit, or the like, the combinationsocket and chock including a curved horn portion formed integrally withthe flange portion, the horn portion extending upwardly from the flangeportion and curving toward the sleeve portion so as to define a narrowentryway therebetween leading to an enlarged recess for guidinglyreceiving a flexible mooring line, anchor line, or the like.

The invention may be further said to reside in certain constructions andarrangements of parts by which the foregoing objects and advantages, aswell as others, are achieved, as will be understood from the followingdetailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying sheet ofdrawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a combination stanchion socket and linechock embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof taken substantially along line 2-2 ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a reduced perspective view of the combination stanchion socketand line chock.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings and describedhereinafter, there is provided a combination stanchion socket and linechock generally indicated at which is conveniently formed as a castingof aluminum, bronze, or other material suitable for deck hardware use.The combination socket and chock 10 comprises a flange portion 11 whichis generally tear-drop shaped in plan configuration as viewed in FIG. 1and presents a substantially fiat bottom surface 12 for engagement withthe surface of a deck D or other supporting structure.

Formed integrally with, and extending upwardly from the flange portion11 is a sleeve portion 15 which is provided with a cylindrical bore 16so as to define a socket for receiving a stanchion or other upright S asillustrated in FIG. 3, in which view the stanchion S provides supportfor a boat rail R. The sleeve portion 15 is preferably disposed at anacute angle A with the plane of the bottom surface 12 of the flangeportion 11, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The sleeve portion 15 is fairedsmoothly into the upper surface of the flange portion 11 so that acurved surface 20 is provided in the acute angle defined between theflange portion 11 and the sleeve portion 15.

The flange portion 11 is preferably provided with a number of openingsto receive screws, bolts, or other fasteners F, by which the combinationstanchion socket and line chock is conveniently secured to a deck D orother supporting structure. Of course, the heads of the fasteners F areneatly recessed into the flange portion.

At the narrower end of the flange portion 11, toward which sleeve 15 isinclined, is a horn portion 22 which is formed integrally with theflange portion 11 and curves upwardly and inwardly toward the sleeveportion. The horn portion 22 has a curved inner surface 23, thecurvature of which is substantially the same as the curvature of thesurface 20 between the sleeve portion 15 and the flange portion 11. Thetip 22a of the horn portion 22 is spaced from the sleeve portion 15 toprovide an entryway 24 to an enlarged recess 25 defined by the hornportion 22, the flange portion 11 and the sleeve portion 15. Theentryway 24 is of a size to permit the entrance of a rope or line L of asize corresponding to the curved surfaces 23 and 20.

It will be seen that the horn portion 22 and the sleeve portion 15thereby cooperate to provide an efficient chock means which serves as aguide or fairlead for a line L, for example when the line is led to adeck cleat C as illustrated in FIG. 3. It will also be recognized thatthe combined stanchion socket and chock 10 suports the stanchion S in aninclined position, and that the stanchion serves as a guide for leadingthe line L into the recess 25 between the horn portion 22 and the sleeveportion 15, thereby facilitating line handling and obviating thenecessity of precisely placing the line L between the relatively shorthorns of the usual chock. Furthermore, the invention provides in asingle piece of hardware structure for replacing what has heretoforebeen considered to require two separate items of hardware.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith reference to a specific combination stanchion socket and line chockembodying the invention, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited thereby, but rather the invention includes all thosemodifications, adaptations, substitutions and uses as are reasonablyembraced by the scope of the claims hereof.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A combination stanchion socket and line chock comprising:

(a) a flange portion presenting a substantially flat bottom surface forengagement with a supporting surface,

(b) a sleeve portion extending upwardly from one end of said flangeportion at an acute angle to the plane of said bottom surface andinclined toward the opposite end of said flange portion and defining asocket therein for receiving a stanchion,

and

(c) a curved horn portion formed integrally with said flange portion atthe other end thereof, said horn 2 portion extending upwardly andcurving toward said sleeve portion and terminating short thereof so asto define an open top recess therebetween for guidingly receiving aflexible line between said horn portion and said sleeve.

27 A combination stanchion socket and line chock cornprising:

(a) a flange portion presenting a substantially flat bottom surface forengagement with a supporting surface, said flange portion having a wideend and a narrow end in plan configuration,

(b) a sleeve portion extending upwardly from the wide end of said flangeportion at an acute angle to the plane of said bottom surface andinclined toward the opposite end of said flange portion and defining asocket therein for receiving a stanchion,

and

(c) a curved horn portion formed integrally with said' flange portion atthe narrow end thereof, said horn sleeve portion and terminating shortthereof so as to define an entryway leading to an enlarged recessbetween said horn and sleeve portions for guidingly receiving a flexibleline between said horn portion and said sleeve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MILTON BUCHLER,Primary Examiner.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Examiner.

1. A COMBINATION STANCHION SOCKET AND LINE CHOCK COMPRISING: (A) AFLANGE PORTION PRESENTING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BOTTOM SURFACE FORENGAGEMENT WITH A SUPPORTING SURFACE, (B) A SLEEVE PORTION EXTENDINGUPWARDLY FROM ONE END OF SAID FLANGE PORTION AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THEPLANE OF SAID BOTTOM SURFACE AND INCLINED TOWARD THE OPPOSITE END OFSAID FLANGE PORTION AND DEFINING A SOCKET THEREIN FOR RECEIVING ASTANCHION, AND (C) A CURVED HORN PORTION FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAIDFLANGE PORTION AT THE OTHER END THEREOF, SAID HORN PORTION EXTENDINGUPWARDLY AND CURVING TOWARD SAID SLEEVE PORTION AND TERMINATING SHORTTHEREOF SO AS TO DEFINE AN OPEN TOP RECESS THEREBETWEEN FOR GUIDINGLYRECEIVING A FLEXIBLE LINE BETWEEN SAID HORN PORTION AND SAID SLEEVE.